A good ground plane is essential to proper operation of a number of antenna systems. Active array antennas in particular have a need for a continuous ground plane. Without such a ground plane, undesirable effects can disrupt received signals and impair antenna performance. The importance of ground planes for antennas is described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,100,855 to Vinson, et al., the entire content of which is expressly incorporated herein by reference.
Antenna systems can include a number of radiating elements. Examples of antenna systems can be found in U.S. Pat. No. 6,366,259 to Pruett et al. and U.S. Pat. No. 7,391,382 to Mason et al., the entire content of each is expressly incorporated herein by reference. The radiating elements can send and receive signals provided by way of a main feed network. Often, the radiating elements are mounted such that a small space, such as a gap, exists between the elements. In some applications, the antenna systems are mounted to moving devices, such as aircraft or other vehicles. In such case, the radiating elements can be exposed to significant vibration. Both the gaps in antenna structure and the vibration create challenges to implementing and maintaining a continuous ground plane for an antenna system.
Systems to account for vibration and/or gaps in a ground plane have been proposed. These systems include, for example, copper fingers, spiral gaskets, and metallized tape. Among other limitations, such systems are unable to provide a continuous ground plane for antennas having relative movement between radiating elements.